Job Description
 

Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Philippines seeks to strengthen its assistance to the government and key stakeholders as they aim to harness digitalization to improve public services and support inclusive socioeconomic development. It established the Pintig Lab as its in-house analytics unit that also leverages its multidisciplinary network of practitioners of data for decision-making. Pintig Lab aims to ensure that 1) data-driven policymaking is promoted, 2) the capacity of partners in government, civil society, and within the UNDP country office to use data for decision-making is increased, and 3) the data ecosystem for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is strengthened.

Pintig Lab was founded in 2020 to assist the government in bolstering its use of data for the COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery. Through the years, the service offering of Pintig Lab has necessarily evolved from the application of advanced data analytics tools and towards building robust data systems and accompanying partners in their respective digital transformation journeys. Over the last two years, the interventions of Pintig Lab in digitalization and analytics have expanded into various domains, with active and forthcoming engagements in 2026 in local disaster resilience, climate and SDG finance, enterprise development, and democratic governance and institutions, among others.

UNDP PH’s Pintig Lab requires the services of an Enterprise Architect who will provide quality expert advice to internal and external partners in the design of digital solutions for various socioeconomic development domains. The Enterprise Architect will accompany stakeholders in determining business needs, defining digitalization goals, and specifying the requirements for software and other solutions development. He/she will also perform quality assurance tasks on the work and deliverables of UNDP firms and contractors that are related to the implementation and development of digital solutions.

Duties and Responsibilities

While the Economist will serve as the formal supervisor of the Enterprise Architect, the Enterprise Architect will report directly to the Head of the Pintig Lab for all technical matters and day-to-day work. The Economist, as Head of the Impact Advisory Team (IAT), retains strategic oversight and may provide guidance and instruction as needed, particularly in alignment with the broader objectives of the IAT. He/she may also be expected to collaborate closely with other members of the IAT.

The Enterprise Architect is expected to closely collaborate with team leaders, project managers, and staff of UNDP programmes and projects to which he/she is rendering services and outputs. Outputs shall be jointly cleared by the Project Manager of the client-project and the Head of Pintig Lab. The Enterprise Architect is also expected to interface with external partners particularly counterpart digitalization and information technology officials in the government.

The work is office-based and the Enterprise Architect will be required to report in person to the office as well as to stakeholder-facing meetings and activities as necessary. 

Lead the process of determining business needs to understand the objectives of project partners and to identify areas where digital solutions are needed.

• Design and co-lead consultations, discovery workshops, and other meetings to assess needs, define digitalization objectives, and map requirements;
• Assess the readiness of partners for digitalization, including the openness to reform manual processes into digital, and the technical capacity of manpower and infrastructure;
• With internal and external partners, co-develop Digital Solutions Roadmaps that include an assessment of the current state of digitalization, the potential benefits and risks of digitalizing systems, and capacities that need to be built.

Translate the digitalization goals of partners into requirement specification with accompanying strategy for contracting the required service providers.

• Conduct market research and scoping of available technologies and applications, with focus on digital public goods, that can be deployed for particular digital projects;
• Craft technical specifications, terms of reference (TOR), and other documents for consultation with and submission to the UNDP procurement team;
• Support the process of procuring firms, consultants, and other contractors by, among others, serving as expert technical resource to evaluation panels.

Provide quality assurance on the work and deliverables of firms, consultants, and other contractors that UNDP hired to develop, implement, maintain, and hand-over digital solutions. 

• Review the technical and other substantive aspects of the outputs delivered by contractors at key stages of the development process against the desired specifications;
• Assist both partner and contractor in user acceptance testing and other quality assurance activities, and guide and oversee the contractor in improving their outputs according to partner feedback;
• Assist both partner and contractor to ensure a smooth handover of the digital solution, including but not limited to assisting in the conduct of capacity building activities.

Provide other strategic advices and support to UNDP as it strengthens its digital services offer to partners. 

• Assist the Digitalization and Data Analytics Specialist in the strategic management of the country office’s digitalization and analytics portfolio and strategy that should advance the UNDP Philippines’ development agenda as reflected in its Country Programme 2024-2028; 
• Support UNDP IAT and programme teams in pursuit of opportunities for digitalization efforts particularly in engaging partners, scoping donor interest, and developing project proposals; 
• Collaborate with Pintig Lab in the enterprise architecture aspects of efforts to strengthen the SDG data ecosystem, including but not limited to managing its own data repositories;  

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization
 

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact 
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy

• Entrepreneurial thinking: Identify and seize opportunities to service and add value to clients, create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners, develop clear service offers responding to client needs in line with UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandate.
• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Information Management & Technology

• Solutions architecture: Ability to design and manage the Information system architecture supporting corporate business processes. Design integration strategies and approaches to integrate of one or more applications or services to maintain a coherent and effective IT architecture. Knowledge of ISO 20000 and IT operations. The Open Group TOGAF9 or Open CA, ITIL Master certification, or DevOps or similar certification desirable. 
• User experience and business analyst: Capacity to translate efficiently users needs in IT requirements around human-centred design principles. Knowledge of Oracle Cloud, ServiceNow, SalesForce.com, and Microsoft product an asset. 
• IT project management: Capacity to manage ICT projects, using IT methodologies and approaches such as agile deployment and/or waterfall system development methods. PMP and PRINCE2 certification or equivalent desirable. 

Digital

• Digital transformation design: Practical and strategic skills in digital transformation for governments and organizations
• Data governance: Knowledge of data science, skills to develop data management tools, organize and maintain databases and operate data visualization technologies.
  Understand the potential as well as the limitations of using data driven innovation. Ability to use a mix of data sources (quantitative, qualitative or real-time techniques) to develop understanding, identify patterns to inform decision making or identify opportunities for further exploration. 
   

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in information management, statistics, computer science, information technology, sustainable development, economics, data science, social sciences, or related fields is required.
  OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional nine (9) years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree. 

Experience:

• Minimum seven (7) years (with master’s degree) or nine (9) years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in enterprise and solutions architecture, digital projects management, software product development, and other related senior-level information and communications technology (ICT) roles, in the private sector, government entities, and international development organizations. 

Required skills:

• Experience in the private sector, government, and international development organizations is required.
• Knowledge and experience in The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) or similar framework for solutions and enterprise architecture is required
• Training and experience in applying relevant software project management approaches, such as but not limited to Agile Project Management and the Project Management Body of Knowledge is required. 

Desired skills:

• Working experience in the UN or international development organizations at the national or international level is preferred.
• Knowledge and experience in Human Centered Design, Service Design, System Design, and other design thinking-based processes and approaches are preferred.
• Exposure to and experience with Digital Public Goods including but not limited to the development and/or reuse of free and open-source software are preferred.
• Well versed with issues on data and digital rights, including but not limited to the protection of data privacy, and the inclusion of marginalized groups in digitalization efforts, are preferred.

Required Languages:

• Fluency in spoken and written English and Filipino is required.

Professional Certificates:

• Certification/s in Enterprise Architecture or related skills are desired

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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